File



April 1 1924.

J. l".V WARD FILE Filed June 12. 1923 .Ward

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Patented Apr. 1, 1924.

UNITED STATES JOHN' FINLEY WARD, OF HOPE, ARKANSAS.

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Application led J'une 12, 1923. Serial'o. 644,937.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it lknown that I, JOHN FINLEY VVABD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Hope, in the county of Hempstead and State of Arkansas, haveinvented a new and useful File, of which the following is aspecilication.

This invention relates to files and more particularly to prescriptionles.

The object of the invention is to provide a file of this character soconstructed that a prescription may be readily vlocated for refilling orcopying and held exposed without removing it from the file.

Another object is to provide a tile of this character equipped with acard index separating the prescriptions into lots of a hundred, a cardbeing arranged between each hundred and numbered correspondingly.

Another object is to provide a le of this character equipped with meansfor preventing the index cards and the prescription blanks from droppingolf when laid back.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 represents a perspective View of aile constructed in accordance with this invention with one of the indexcards shown in raised position supported by the holder.

Fig. 2 is a detail longitudinal section taken on the line 2r-2 of F ig.1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of one of the index cards used in connection withthis improved file; and

Fig. 4 is asimilar view of one of the prescription blanks.

In the embodiment illustrated a supporting base 1 is shown preferablyconstructed of wood and rectangular in configuration with a liftingdevice or finger grip 2 secured to its front end., Rising from the rearend of the base 1 and spaced laterally from each other are two uprights3 and 4 preferably constructed of metal rods mounted in the base plateby means of nuts 5 and 6 carried by tlie'threaded lower end thereof andhoused in socketsV T and 8 in said base plate as is shown clearly inFig. 2. The construction shown in Fig. 2 illustrates the connection of apost 10 but the same mounting is used for securing the uprights 3 and 4.

The rods 3 and 4 may be of any desired height according to the number ofprescriptions to be iled thereon and at their upper end have laterallyextending arms 11 and 12 provided with depending L-shaped fingers 13 and14 the free ends 15 of which project rearwardly and outwardly.

The post 10 is secured to the base 1 adjacent one side edge thereofintermediate the ends of the base and has slidably mounted thereon a bar16 equipped with a set-screw 17 designed to hold said bar in adjustedposition on the post and which when the screw is loosened may be raisedor lowered or swung laterally on the post to facilitate the manipulationof the prescriptions and index cards which are mounted on the file. Aset of twenty, more or less, index cards 18 are supplied with each fileone for each hundred prescriptions and which carry tabs as 19 havingnumbers thereon, for instance the card shown in Fig. 3 bears the number65,800 while the card located above it will bear the number 65,900 andbetween these two cards will be mounted one hundred prescriptions thenumbers ranging from 65,800 to f 65,900 so that the drug clerk mayquickly locate a prescription, and when located the index cards and theprescriptions above it will be swung upward and backward if necessaryVon the rods 3 and 4, the depending L-shaped members 13 and 14 operatingto prevent the cards from dropping off. It' desired the raisedprescriptions and index cards may rest ony the bar 16 as shown in Fig.1, said bar being adjusted at any point on the post 10 and held there bythe setscrew 17.

The index cards 18 are punched to adapt them to be strung on the rods 3and 4 by any suitable tool and corresponding holes are punched in theprescription to be filed.

1n the use of this file an index card 18 is strung on the rods 3 and 4and placed against the base plate-1. The prescriptions on the rods abovethe card 18 and after a hundred have been placed thereon, another cardis positioned thereover to separate the first hundred from the nextfollowing in the manner above set forth.

Any prescription blank will easily fit this 'lle and a -punch may befurnished to cut holes in said blanks so that they Will slide on thefile. It will thus be seen that a prescription may be easily found infrom twenty to thirty seconds While on the ordi nary tile it takes fromat least live to ten minutes or more. Moreover this le retains theprescriptions in good condition and there is no possible chance of anyof them Vbeing lost. No skill is required to operate the file and henceinexperienced persons may use it.

Various changes in the form, shape, proportion and other minor detailsof construction may be. made Without departing from the principle orsacrificing any of the advantages oi the claimed invention.

A ile of the class described comprising a base plate, a pair ofstandards rising from one end thereof and spaced laterally apart and onwhich the papers are designed to be strung, a post rising from saidplate on one side thereof, a bar mounted for slidable anu rotatablemovement on said postj and a set screw for holding' said bar in adjustedposition.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXedmy signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN FINLEY WARD. lVitnesses FRANK GRAY WARD, KLINE lima SNYDER.

